"We are more than animals," Joel answers, holding Bach's gaze steadily. "And we're all deserving of respect." Then he laughs, a dry, harsh sound, not a laugh of amusement at all. "That you're taking my refusal to accept your disrespect as a personal insult says a lot. It's possible to enjoy someone's company without agreeing with every word that comes out of their mouth. It's possible to have conflict without interpreting it as someone telling another that they're shit."

But he's tired and he's drunk and his mind keeps wandering back to Spencer. "My door is always open. And for the record, were someone to say such things about you, I wouldn't stand for it either."